His arm is about to fall off...


WASHINGTON (AP)—Stephen Strasburg is headed back to the disabled list, and his prized right arm will undergo yet another examination that will largely determine whether he pitches again this season.

The Washington Nationals rookie will have a second MRI exam to see if anything more than a strained tendon in his forearm caused him to grimace after throwing a changeup in Saturday’s game at Philadelphia. Strasburg was removed from the game and underwent an MRI on Sunday.


A Washington Nationals trainer talks with pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) just prior to him leaving the game with an injury in the fifth inning against the Phillies.

The MRI “showed some things on there that led us to set up another MRI,” general manager Mike Rizzo said Monday. The GM said the upcoming test will be done in the “next day or two” and will use an injection of dye that should render “a full view of what’s going on in there.”

For now, the Nationals are still calling Strasburg’s injury a flexor strain in his throwing arm. He had been scheduled to start again Thursday, but instead will find himself on the disabled list for the second time in less than a month. The Nationals are expected to soon make the move official.

“He’s anxious to find out what’s going on,” Rizzo said. “He felt good today. His elbow felt good. … To say he’s little anxious, a little emotional would be fair to say.”

Strasburg, who is 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings, was hurt while making his third start since returning from the disabled list because of inflammation in the back of his right shoulder.

Rizzo said Strasburg arrived at Nationals Park on Monday hoping do some throwing. The Nationals, who have been extremely cautious with Strasburg’s development, told him no. Strasburg has told the team he had a similar problem in college at San Diego State and pitched through it. He was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft.

“It’s discouraging for Stephen,” manager Jim Riggleman said.

The Nationals clarified remarks Rizzo made Sunday, when the general manager said Strasburg went through a normal post-start workout that including some light throwing. The Nationals said Rizzo misspoke and that Strasburg did not throw on Sunday.

Rizzo wouldn’t speculate on whether Strasburg could be shelved for the season, saying the team will wait for the results on the next test and take a “prudent course of action after that.” Fellow Nationals starter John Lannan(notes) also had swelling around his flexor tendon earlier this season and missed one start.

The Nationals have been careful to limit the innings and take every other precaution with their 22-year-old phenom—he was taken out of a game recently because of a protest in the outfield that delayed the game for a few minutes.

Riggleman is familiar with promising pitchers who flame out early, having managed a young Kerry Wood with the Chicago Cubs. Riggleman said it’s important to properly deal with the “red flags” that arise early.

“It just seems like pitchers get to a point where they’re past all the issues, guys like Livan (Hernandez) and Miguel (Batista),” Riggleman said. “It just seems like it’s the way it goes with these young pitchers.”

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As a baseball fan you are sad to hear this stuff. This kid obviously has the talent to be a once in a generation type talent. Hopefully it's just growing pains and nothing chronic

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Team Cutler.

I would never draft a pitcher this early in the draft ever. You have to baby them so much because of the investment made, and they will be on pitch counts until the age of 30. Drafting one in the first round just seems to be a waste for a guy that will only be playing 1 out of 5 games. Am I wrong?

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You're right. I'm surprised more GM's haven't figured this out yet. But I can also see how it could be really hard to pass on a guy with stuff like his...

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Is Strasburg in the HOF yet?

You are wrong. This guy's potential is worth the risk not to mention his box office which will finance the investment.

I get that, but everytime this guy gets a hangnail, they are going to shut him down. I know you have to protect your investment, but how long do you keep this guy on strict pitch counts, and how long do you have to baby him? I wouldn't be surprised if that kind of stuff goes on for at least 5 seasons of his career. By that time he will probably leave to pitch for the Yankees or Red Sox. It just seems like too much crap that comes with the obvious talent that Strasburg has, and personally I don't think it's worth it. I would run him out there on 3 days rest. Cy Young did it, Strasburg should just man up.

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Not if he keeps going to the DL. If he burns out, it really isn't worth the risk.

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Maybe you'd like what Rod Dibble had to say about Strasburg DB..

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcspor ... asbur.html


Some highlights:


"So for me, a little bit has to be put back on Strasbug here. Ok, you throw a pitch, it bothers your arm, and you immediately call out the manager and the trainer? Suck it up, kid. This is your profession. You chose to be a baseball player. You can't have the cavalry come in and save your butt every time you feel a little stiff shoulder, sore elbow"

"I mean, excuse me. There's guys I played with that had screws holding their elbows together. Chris Sabo played two weeks on a broken ankle. I put a steel plate in my wrist so I could be back in five weeks instead of three months. So, this is your choice. You can either suck it up and be a man at 22 making $2 million a year [with] a $15 million contract, or every time you get an ache and pain you can go out of the game and say I'm gonna let down the other 24 guys right here and possibly end up forfeiting the game."




Maybe he's a bit too extreme, but there probably is some truth to what he's saying. I'm sure pitchers off the past dealt with the same arm pains/soreness, but due to a lack of medical research/knowledge/publicity/stigma about missing time etc, they just played through it.

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Team Cutler.

I can agree with what Dibble said, but the Nats might has also told Strasburg that if he felt anything abnormal to call for the trainer.

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I think what Dibble is trying to say here is that there's nothing abnormal about what he felt. Of course, I'd personally wait for the medical tests before I said some shit like that but I'm catchin what he's slinging.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Here are some recent pitchers selected early in the draft (there are many others selected later in the 1st round):

Josh Beckett #2
Gavin Floyd #4
Zack Greinke #6
John Danks #9
Justin Verlander #2
Jeff Niemann #4
Ricky Romero #6
Brandon Morrow #5
Clayton Kershaw #7
Tim Lincecum #10
David Price #1
Madison Bumgardner #10
Brian Matusz #4
Mike Minor #7
Mike Leake #8

Yes it's a gamble to select a pitcher high in the but when you hit it's well worth the risk.

What Dibble is Trying to say is

LOOK AT ME!!! IM ROB DIBBLE!!! IM STILL AROUND!!!!



I agree with DB to a point. The pitching motion is an unnatural motion. Pitchers are a bigger risk.

But sometimes, with guys like Strasburg, you have to make the exception.




BTW, here's the rest of that Chris Sabo story...

After injuries limited his play in 1992, his production dropped off drastically. Sabo never again hit above .260 nor would have more than 10 steals in a season.

Baltimore signed him in 1994 where he endured another injury-plagued season and then split 1995 between Chicago and St. Louis.

His final season was in Cincinnati in 1996. His homecoming did not go as well as he had hoped. In July of that season, Sabo shattered his bat which was filled with cork. As a result of the incident, Sabo received a seven-game suspension.


Perhaps he shouldnt have played on a broken angle.

Wow, now thats a starting rotation for ya.

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I called this months ago.

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Is having Tommy John surgery.

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I think of him more as Mark Prior Jr

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Such a shame.

Why is it called an inverted W instead of a M?

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Team Cutler.

Either or...

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Nice job Dr. Dibble.

This really isn't surprising. To be able to throw the kind of stuff that Strasburg does, he had to have been putting a huge strain on his arm. I didn't think it would come this fast, but it's not surprising.

I actually called this in February:
http://score670.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=43385

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Are you happy about this?

I see Dusty Baker is still blowing up arms like its his job even from the visiting dugout. Sounds like the Nationals need another starter (Big Z) for next year.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

I wouldn't say I am happy, but I am definitely not upset about it. It's just another reason to pass on some of these phenom pitching prospects. This kid has probably been throwing curve balls since the age of 8. To throw the kind of stuff he does it's not surprising that his arm has blown up this early.

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Strasburg's totally got a douche goatee thing going on, he probably deserved it.

HE NEEDS "TOMMY JOHN SURGERY" AND IS OUT FOR NEXT SEASON!!!!!!

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

I didn't believe you when you posted it with lower case letters.

But, since you put it this way...damn.

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You know me like that.

Interesting.

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/bas ... sburg.html

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Team Cutler.

Prior's mechanics were "flawless" as well. You just never know with pitchers.

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Agreed. It's a safer bet taking a guy like Harper. Did any of you see the highlights of his power? At 17 that is amazing. At 27 it would be great.

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